Talking Inclusively: September 2017

Welcome to Talking Inclusively, a monthly series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about intersectionality, LGBT issues, inclusion and more! Each month we’ll offer an article on diverse topics and suggest a few questions that you can use to lead a discussion focused on how we can make space that is more welcoming to everyone.

Have feedback about how your conversation went? Run across an article you’d like us to consider? Let us know by e-mailing info@straightforequality.org.

If you identify as LGBTQ, have you ever felt pressure to formally come out by others? If so, how did that make you feel? Do you think other aspects of your identity had an impact on how you felt?

What other ways do you think being a part of another marginalized community – based on gender, ability, race, body type, age, etc. – might impact a person’s decision to formally or organically come out to the people they care about? Was another part of your identity a factor for you – and if yes, in what way?

As allies, what can we do to create space so that those who don’t feel the need to formally come out in certain spaces – like their workplace, faith community, school, or extended family – feel welcome, accepted, and celebrated? How might those behaviors differ depending on the space?